NEW EXAMINATION

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 188, 8 May 1934, Page 11

NEW EXAMINATION

Meeting Needs of Pupils SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Director’s Explanation The purpose of regulations gazetted jast month relating to the school certificate examination was explained by the Director of Education, Mr., N. 1. Lambourne, in his address to the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute yesterday. The department proposes to hold the examination conjointly with the New Zealand Universify for the first time at the end of this year. It was pointed out that pupils wiU be able to reach the required standard, equivalent to that of the university entrance, in subjects in ■which they are interested, and for which they have a special inclination. “The certificate has been asked for during the last few years by a considerable number of post-primary schools with the object of providing an alternative to the university entrance examination,” Mr. Lambourne said. “The university entrance examination is designed for a specific purpose, and for that purpose must be regarded as being in Abe main very suitable. The syllabus and the prescriptions were drawn up by the university for the definite purpose of setting a standard of attainment which those wishing to proceed with higher education must reach in certain subjects before they enter the university. ' - “Returns supplied by the post-prim-ary schools to the department show .that in 1932, 8 per cent, of the boys and 5 per cent, of the girls leaving the secondary schools; 5 per cent, of the boys and 3 per cent, of the girls from combined schools; 1 per cent, of the boys and no significant percentage of the girls from technical day schools; and 1 per cent each of boys and girls from the secondary departments of district high schools, or 4 per cent, of all the boys and 2 per cent, of all the girls receiving post-primary education proceed to full-time university education. Fifty per cent, of the girls took up home duties; 27 per cent, of the boys took up farming, and 29 per cent, entered various trades and industries,' shops, and warehouses. It was evident, therefore, that some other examination than the university entrance or. matriculation was required to meet the needs bf a very large percentage of the, pupils. Subjects in Syllabus.

“There are in the present university syllabus 19 subjects, all of which are included in the school, certificate examination syllabus, together with 12 other subjects—namely, technicaldrawing, economics, book-keeping, shorthand and typing, needlework, home craft, technical electricity, heat engines, applied mechanics, plane trigonometry, physiology and hygiene, and general biology. English is compulsory, and a pass in four other subjects is necessary to gain the certificate. The holder of a certificate may, however, add to the five subjects either in the current or in subsequent years. The names of the several subjects in which he has passed will be recorded on the certificate. “During the discussions precedent to the framing of the regulations it was very evident that no one desired to impose another examination bn ' the post-primary pupils. It was there- • fore decided to hold the examination conjointly with the university at the same time as the present university entrance examination. “Candidates must all take English, and may gain university entrance and the school certificate by selecting from the first 19 subjects, or they may secure the school certificate alone by selecting from the whole range of subjects. “The department is of the opinion that the institution of the certificate will free the post-primary schools from the domination of the university entrance examination—a domination imposed not by the university, but by parents and the public. “The standard of the school certificate will be that of the university entrance. The certificate will indicate a degree of mental ability, aptitude, and diligence, . and of general education at least as high as that of the socalled matriculation, but the pupil will have the opportunity of reaching this standard in subjects in which he is interested and for which he has an inclination. It remains, therefore, for the principals of post-primary schools to convince parents and employers that the possession of a school certificate is evidence of as good a general education as that which has come to be regarded as being indicated by the university entrance examination. Many have already done good work on behalf of the certificate. “It is only right to say that , throughout the preparation of the regulations the department had the willing and wholehearted co-operation of the vicechancellor, Professor Hunter, and other officers of the New Zealand University.”